West Palm Beach Irma: Latest Hurricane Path & Forecast Updates

West Palm Beach remains directly in the crosshairs of Hurricane Irma, which is currently a Category 4. The storm is predicted to be near the southern Florida peninsula by Sunday morning and may re-strengthen to a Category 5 before it makes landfall. Tropical storm winds extend far outside the hurricane, so Florida can expect to start feeling the effects of the hurricane sooner on Saturday.

What are the latest updates for West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County? Here’s the key information you need to know, as of the evening of Sept. 8:

According to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. advisory, Irma is expected to make landfall in Florida and will bring life-threatening winds to the state regardless of exactly where the center of the storm makes landfall. Southern Florida and the Florida Keys are in danger of life-threatening storm surges over the next 36 hours. About 8 to 12 feet of inundation above ground is possible in the southwest coast of Florida.

Irma is also expected to produce heavy rain of 8 to 15 inches, with isolated amounts up to 20 inches over the Florida Keys and much of the Florida peninsula through Tuesday night. The highest amounts are currently expected to be seen over eastern Florida and the upper Florida Keys.

As of 5:30 p.m., according to the NHC, the following local hurricane statement was issued for South Florida. It included the following:

Category 4 Hurricane Irma continues to move west northwest across the southern Bahamas this afternoon, and will impact South Florida beginning Saturday. Hurricane Irma continues to remain a severe and extremely dangerous threat for all of South Florida. Direct major hurricane landfall is likely somewhere across South Florida this weekend.

The primary concerns continue to be for catastrophic major hurricane force winds and life-threatening storm surge. Additional concerns include the potential for flooding rainfall, isolated tornadoes, significant beach erosion and surf, and life-threatening rip currents.

Depending on the eventual track of Hurricane Irma, flash flooding is also possible around portions of Lake Okeechobee in association with a possible overwash or minor to moderate overtopping of the Herbert Hoover Dike. Interests near Lake Okeechobee should heed the orders of local and state emergency management officials.

Preparations to protect life and property are strongly urged to be completed by tonight. All persons in South Florida should take shelter by early Saturday morning. Hurricane Irma is a potentially deadly situation and should not be taken lightly. Everyone is urged to exercise extreme caution in order to protect their lives.

Also, protect against life-threatening surge having possible significant to extensive impacts across the immediate coast of Broward and Palm Beach counties.

* WIND:
Protect against life-threatening wind having possible devastating impacts across all of South Florida. Potential impacts include:
– Structural damage to sturdy buildings, some with complete roof and wall failures. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Damage greatly accentuated by large airborne projectiles. Locations may be uninhabitable for weeks or months.
– Numerous large trees snapped or uprooted along with fences and roadway signs blown over.
– Many roads impassable from large debris, and more within urban or heavily wooded places. Many bridges, causeways, and access routes impassable.
– Widespread power and communications outages.

* FLOODING RAIN:
Protect against life-threatening rainfall flooding having possible extensive impacts across South Florida. Potential impacts include:
– Major rainfall flooding may prompt many evacuations and rescues.
– Ditches and canals may rapidly overflow their banks in multiple places. Flood control systems and barriers may become stressed.
– Flood waters can enter many structures within multiple communities, some structures becoming uninhabitable or washed away. Many places where flood waters may cover escape routes. Streets, parking lots and underpasses become submerged. Driving conditions become dangerous. Many road and bridge closures with some weakened or washed out.

* TORNADOES:
Protect against a dangerous tornado event having possible significant impacts across South Florida. Potential impacts include:
– The occurrence of scattered tornadoes can hinder the execution of emergency plans during tropical events.
– Several places may experience tornado damage with a few spots of considerable damage, power loss, and communications failures.
– Locations could realize roofs torn off frame houses, mobile homes demolished, boxcars overturned, large trees snapped or uprooted, vehicles tumbled, and small boats tossed about. Dangerous projectiles can add to the toll.

Palm Beach County: Mandatory evacuation of zones A and B, as well as mobile homes and flood-prone areas. Voluntary evacuation of zone C. Effective at 10 AM Friday.

For further information, contact 311 for Miami-Dade and Broward counties and 211 across the rest of South Florida.

If evacuating away from the area or relocating to a nearby shelter, leave early before weather conditions become hazardous.

* OTHER PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION:

Check-in with your emergency points of contact among family, friends, and workmates. Inform them of your status and well-being. Let them know how you intend to ride out the storm and when you plan to check-in again.

Keep cell phones well charged and handy. Also, cell phone chargers for automobiles can be helpful after the storm. Locate your chargers and keep them with your cell phone.

In emergencies it is best to remain calm. Stay informed and focused on the situation at hand. Exercise patience with those you encounter. Be a good neighbor and help others.

If relocating to a nearby shelter or to the home of a family member or friend, drive with extra caution, especially on secondary roads. Remember, many bridges and causeways will be closed once higher winds arrive. Also, if you encounter water covering the road, seek an alternate route. Always obey official road signs for closures and detours.

Closely monitor NOAA Weather radio or other local news outlets for official storm information. Be ready to adapt to possible changes to the forecast.

Jonathan Belles, meteorologist at FSU Weather, shared on Facebook: “Confidence is higher today that there will be major impacts of a Category 4 hurricane in Florida. Nailing down that exact landfall point and ground zero is still not possible, but Florida landfall is looking very likely.”

Irma is currently at 22.1 N, 76.5 W, about 345 miles southeast of Miami, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. Irma is moving west at 12 mph, with a turn northwest expected late Saturday. The storm should be near the Florida Keys and the southern Florida Peninsula by Sunday morning. But tropical storm winds will be felt as early as Saturday.

In Palm Beach County, Zones A, B, and the Glades Areas are under mandatory evacuation. Zone C is under voluntary evacuation. If you aren’t sure which evacuation zone you’re in, you can visit here to find out.

If you’re in an evacuation zone and don’t have a way to evacuate, call 1-800-342-3557.

If you are in an evacuation zone & do not have a way to evacuate due to traffic- call 1-800-342-3557. We will do all we can to get you out.

So far, one Palm Beach County emergency shelter is at capacity in Jupiter, the Sun-Sentinel reported, but there’s room at the other 14 shelters, and there are pet friendly and special needs shelters too. To find your nearest shelter, visit this interactive map.

Saturday: Tropical storm conditions possible, with hurricane conditions also possible. Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, then showers and thunderstorms after 8am. High near 86. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday Night Tropical storm conditions expected, with hurricane conditions possible. Showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 8pm. Low around 79. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Sunday Tropical storm conditions expected, with hurricane conditions possible. Showers and thunderstorms. High near 85. Heat index values as high as 101. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday Night Hurricane conditions possible. Showers and thunderstorms likely before 8pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 76. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Monday Tropical storm conditions possible. A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.

Monday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 76. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tuesday A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph.

Tuesday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 77. South wind around 9 mph becoming west after midnight.

Wednesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.

Wednesday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 78.

Thursday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.

Thursday Night A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 78.

Friday A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.